Fire Station disposal rumours. RS 320 on Marsh. Money spent on Fire Station. Time scale for any committee on the Fire Station and will it be independent?

Road works on The Street, Upper Halling.

The Vice-Chair, MJ, moved that items 12 and 13 be held in closed session. This was seconded by MC. The vote was tied at 4 each and GW used his casting vote against. Motion defeated. CH proposed that item 13 be discussed in closed session. This was seconded by TR and all agreed.

3. Declaration of Pecuniary and Prejudicial Interests - none

4. Motion by the Chairman to defer items 5,6,7,8 and 9 to the January 2016 meeting.

This was seconded by LH. MJ explained the background to these motions and moved an amendment to defer items 5,6,7 and 9 to the January meeting but to proceed with item 8. This was seconded by TR. 8 votes for with 1 against so motion approved.

8. Motion to appoint a Finance Committee of 5 councillors with delegated powers

MJ has been looking at the Financial Regulations and these need updating. He proposed that the Committee should consist of at least one member from each ward. TR moved an amendment that the members of the Committee should be appointed at this meeting. This was seconded by BM and all agreed. The membership of the Finance Committee will be CH, KT, TR MC and MJ with the Chairman ex officio.

10. Refurbishment plans for the recreation grounds being undertaken as per the Sport England application.

Maria Cook said that the Sport England application has to be in by 11th January 2016. She will be arranging for the relevant groups to be consulted before then and to obtain statistics for the application. £2000 has been agreed by the Police Commissioner’s fund for replacement of the youth shelter. AS agreed to talk to the youths at the shelter. The result of the bid with Veolia should be known by 10th December.

11. Former Fire station – Motion raised by Richard Thorne, Kelly Talbot, Andy Simpson and Michael Chattington that a decision on the future of the Fire Station be deferred to enable all possibilities for its future use, including community use directly by Halling Parish Council and sale to the sole bidder, to be fully evaluated. A committee be set up for that purpose and instructed to carry out full public consultation.

It was proposed by TR seconded by KT that the above motion be adopted

MC then made a statement on behalf of the above. He feels that HPC was too hasty in making the decision on 15th June 2015 and that HPC must reconsider its position. CH responded that this motion is not supported by any new evidence. KT said that CH’s report is biased towards selling the property. She feels that full fact finding must take place in the village. CH said that if HPC adopts this proposal then it could lose the sale. TR felt that there should be a time limit on this. MJ moved an amendment to the motion to set a time scale for the Committee to make its final report by 31st March 2016. This was seconded by TR. A recorded vote was then taken with TR, KT, MC, AS, MJ, LH and BM in favour with GW against. CH abstained. It was agreed that the Committee should consist of 5. CH, BM, KT, MC and AS volunteered to serve on the Committee. Meetings of the Committee will be held in public with the Clerk issuing Agendas and taking minutes.

13. Closed item; Kent Legal Services – update on outstanding invoice.

MJ said that he has spoken to KLS for evidence of the advice given to them but so far has received no response. He proposed that the Clerk writes to KLS confirming the earlier decision of HPC not to take responsibility for the invoices. This was seconded by MC. 7 voted for with 2 abstentions.